Are cars with personality, charm and charisma dead? Jason Harper from Bloomberg seems to think so. In his recent article, Harper asks “In this age of mass production and global distribution, have we seen the last taillights of cars with personality? Where are the oddball autos that appeal to only a heartfelt few?”

Cars that Harper digs from the “good old days” are the Citroen DS-19, the Morris Minor Traveller or the Buick Riviera. Sure, those were cool cars, but isn’t it natural for people to look fondly at the past? It’s why after every Super Bowl, people say the commercials were disappointing inferring some sort of benchmark was set in the past. People were more wholesome too, our country was stronger, gas was cheaper, Adam Sandler made funnier movies and cars had more personality.

To his credit, Harper does believe electric cars from Fiskar and Tesla are a sign of change. Their interiors, their curves and wacky details have stimulated excitement in the car industry. Nonetheless, beautiful design aren’t just limited to electric cars. It could be argued a whole host of quirky and charming cars can be found at a dealership near you. Here are a few. [keep reading]

Inside

Back

I assume anyone reading this post has been to at least one car show. There are just as many categories of car shows as there are types of cars. I’ve been to a lot of different ones but the nostalgic feeling and genuineness found at the local car shows can’t be found anywhere else. And the knowledge you gain from talking to the folks who actually owned and worked on these cars is different from the MPG and HP ratings you find on a sheet at the large international shows. But before I get all sentimental over these local events, I’d like to take some time to explain how these opinions were formed.

About 10 years ago, I went to my first car show with my uncle and his family. This wasn’t a run of the mill local car meet; this was the New York International Auto Show…one of the largest automotive enthusiast events in the world. With hundreds, maybe thousands of cars at display, there was something for everyone to see. From insanely priced and powerful exotics such as the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT to the grocery getters we’re more likely to drive in our lifetimes, all were parked and glistening on what would be the equivalent of a red carpet for cars. [keep reading]

The Jeep Wrangler is a testament to American automotive machinery and its history can be traced back to the start of the 20th century under the Willys nameplate. The modern Wrangler started in 1987 with the YJ body to replace the Jeep CJ. You can pick out a YJ body because it’s the only modern Wrangler with square headlights.

This post isn’t about the history of the Jeep Wrangler. It is, however, about the many colors of Wrangler. You see, the Wrangler isn’t usually the first thing that pops into mind when you think of loud, brash or ostentatious paint jobs.

White was named the most popular car color in America beating out long-time favorite silver which has been the country’s most popular car color for the past ten years. It’s about time some fresh meat takes the crown from silver, but then again, the most exciting thing about white is when it makes an appearance on wheels. Refer to this Mustang Saleen and this Subaru WRX STi. White may be the most popular car color in America, but based on 117 responses from our Facebook fans, both red and black beat out America’s favorite by quite a majority. Even further down the list is silver, which was beaten out by the color blue in the fourth spot and green in the fifth-place spot.

Through the power of American ingenuity, imagine that the Founding Fathers were still alive. Not all of them, just the ones that matter like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin. This isn’t to say Founding Fathers William Whipple or Oliver Wolcott didn’t make serious contributions to American Independence but they aren’t in that really cool picture to the right. That’s why, by default, the Founding Fathers in the picture are the most important. They would be in their early 300’s now, but for the sake of this post let’s also imagine their minds were still sharp and they seamlessly made the transition from horse and buggy to car. Based off a scientific personality assessment of each founding father and the help of Wikipedia, the Mojo Motors Blog has determined which used car the founding fathers would buy from the Mojo Motors used car listings.

Make the jump to see the used whips of America’s Found Fathers. First up, Ben Franklin.

The movie Drive, now playing in a theater near you is a mysterious and obscure action thriller starring protagonist Ryan Gosling as a mechanic and driver of the stunt, heist and motor racing variety. If you’re thinking along the lines of Fast and Furious or Gone in Sixty Seconds, think again. If the pink cursive font from the movie poster makes you think of Miami Vice, think again…again. While the film takes cues from Miami Vice with a soundtrack inspired by 80’s new wave and gratuitous scenes of violence, Drive truly stands alone in a hybrid of genres.

You’ve read the reviews here and here already so this post will take a different approach when breaking down the film. Cars take little precedence in Drive, but each vehicle serves as a reflection of the people who drive them. There’s a 1973 Chevrolet Malibu, an early 90’s Toyota Camry, a muscle car era Pontiac GTO, a 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 and a Lincoln Town Car. Let’s start with the white 1973 Chevrolet Malibu.